Are you Lorraine?
Melissa
Having the original documents of Hills Jewelry sparked bubbles of excitement within me. Just like my late mother advised me in the dream, I was taking charge and bringing doom to everyone who hurt me.
I dropped the file on the table and crashed onto the chair, feeling fulfilled. A slight pain seared through my abdomen, causing me to groan, then I smiled upon remembering that two babies were growing in there.
Twins.
My eyes flitted to the wall clock and I gasped, wishing that the time would go faster so that I’d be able to know the sex of my unborn babies.
A gentle knock resonated on the door. I got up lazily, my body feeling like a bag of lead. I dragged myself to the door and I was rewarded with Lilly’s squeal.
“Hi, Mel.” She stretched out her little arms and I picked her up for a hug.
Seeing her after a long time brightened my day, as I liked to be in her company.
She was so adorable.
My eyes met with Dexter’s and I noticed the sadness that formed underneath his eyes. His lips spread into a smile as he planted kisses on my cheeks, but the tension that surrounded him couldn’t be ignored.
“You didn’t tell me that you’d be coming here today. Although I’m happy that you brought Lilly over.” I quickly added.
“I just returned home this morning and she kept repeating that she wanted to see you. She wouldn’t let me rest, so I had to do her bidding.”
I giggled and smothered Lilly’s face with light kisses, while she giggled and picked the strands of my hair in return.
I dropped her on the couch and headed to the kitchen to get her a bottle of juice and a plastic cup. Then I sensed Dexter’s presence behind me.
“Congratulations.” He murmured.
“Thank you.” I turned the orange juice into the cup and placed it on a tray, then stared at him intently. “You don’t look good, Dexter. What is the matter? Are you having problems at work?”
He shook his head and let out a soft chuckle. “I’m a brilliant CEO, you don’t expect me to have issues with my business, do you?” He replied with a cocky smirk while I rolled my eyes.
“But your eyes say something different…” I moved closer to him, itching to touch him intimately and assure him that everything would be fine. But I knew they wouldn’t be until some people were out of the way. “You don’t look so bright.”
He reached for my hand and put on a smiling face that could have fooled me if I didn’t know him so well.
“I’m alright, Melissa. I’ll deal with my problems like I’ve always done, I just want to ensure that you and our babies are fine.”
I snorted, slightly angry that he ignored my question, but what did I expect?
We agreed to be friends and nothing more. Our only connection to each other was my pregnancy, and he didn’t know that I was Lorraine so I suppressed my wifely instincts and pretended that I understood him.
“Alright then, let’s go back to Lilly before she makes a mess of the living room.”
He took the tray from me, led the way, and stopped just at the door. “I forgot to tell you that I want the three of us to go out and eat. You are celebrating a new position, and Lilly and I haven’t been able to go out lately because of other engagements. So what do you think?”
I shrugged. “A few hours of celebration doesn’t sound like a bad idea. Let me get changed, then.”
DEXTER’S POV
“Stop that, Lilly.” I ran towards Lilly who was about to make a mess of the file on the table.
I dropped the tray aside and then collected the file gently as her grip was too firm for her age. I made a mental note to warn Melissa to be careful with her belongings.
She couldn’t have them lying around carelessly in the presence of a toddler.
“Have your drink and sit.” I kissed her forehead and handed the cup to her.
I wanted to keep the file in a safer place when my eyes caught a familiar name. LORRAINE MELISSA HILLS.
My heart stopped for a second, my mouth running dry as my trembling fingers flipped the pages contained in the file. Then I saw the subject of the document and my knees turned into jelly.
Legitimate owner of Hills Jewelry?
Daughter of Sarah Hills?
What could such an important document be doing with her if she wasn’t the owner? And the name, Lorraine Hills, that was the name of my missing wife…
I dropped the file and raked through my hair in confusion. My insides began to hurt as I tried to process what I’d seen.
Then everything began to make sense: The zeal to take Hills Jewelry away from Leonardo, the uncanny similar eyes she shared with Lorraine, and her relationship with William Rogers.
But why did she have a different face?
Several questions that needed urgent answers kept straying into my mind, leaving me bereft of strength.
I already felt like I was losing my mind, but I kept calm until Melissa strolled down, wearing a black strapless silk dress that hugged her curves, with a long slit running from her mid-thigh downwards.
I scanned her beautiful figure, and it dawned on me that I’d ignored the same waist dip that she and Lorraine shared and the same confident gait.
She was a model, just like Lorraine.
Her eyes shone as she smiled brightly at me, and then it hit me hard that I’d been with my wife all along and I didn’t know.
“L-Lorraine?” I stuttered, and her eyes popped, her glittery silver clutch bag dropping to the ground as she confirmed my suspicion.
She swallowed, then quickly retracted her bag and put on the same smile. “Why did you refer to me as Lorraine, Dexter? Did I remind you of her in any way?” She chortled, her eyes blinking incessantly.
“Yes, you remind me of her in every way.” I picked up the file and held it out for her to see. “You remind me of her because you are her. You are Lorraine Hills.”
For some unknown reason, she kept her eyes fixed on me even though she tried to look away. “I am not her.” She denied with a deep pant.
“You aren’t?” I questioned quietly, as beads of sweat decorated her modestly made-up face. “Then tell me why you are with a document that belongs to her. I can’t recall you being a lawyer, you know.”
She flung her arms in the air, a display of defense. “Look, Dexter, you can’t keep checking my things… I’ve warned you before.”
“Lilly would have torn it if I didn’t intervene, and I was about to tell you to keep your things carefully when I accidentally saw what I should have seen a long time ago.” My temper was rising and I wasn’t going to hold it back. “How can you explain having the same gorgeous gray eyes? Or being a model just like her? How can you explain wanting to be CEO in a shabby place like Hills Jewelry when there are other successful jewelry brands you can model for and make twice the money? How do you explain the instant hatred you have for Emilia if she hasn’t hurt you before.” I thundered and she gasped, leaning onto the wall.
“Leave now, Dexter. Please, leave.”
She wasn’t even disputing any of the facts, instead, she wanted me to leave.
“I won’t leave this place until you confirm that I’m telling the truth.” I retorted.Text © 2024 NôvelDrama.Org.
“I owe you no explanation, Dexter. Just get out-” She screamed at the top of her voice which trailed off as she held her stomach and collapsed onto the ground.
I rushed towards her to keep her head from hitting the floor, then I carried her and ran to her room.
Her eyelids slowly lowered, and then her fingers grazed my cheeks. “I’m so sorry, Dexter.” She whispered and her body went limp.